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China's population

China's population
China's top decision-making body announced in late October that it would relax the one-child policy, a controversial birth control measure Beijing introduced officially in the early 1980s to curb population growth. But demographers say the easing in the rules will not do much to rebalance China's ageing population.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Migrant workers attend a farewell ceremony at Qujing North Railway Station in Yunnan province in February. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Migrant workers in China

How will plans for China’s rural areas adapt to shrinking populations?

Annual national rural work conference sets out priorities for rural planning and construction as urbanisation gathers pace.

Women and gender

Outrage as scholar asks how can China make women ‘submissively have children’

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China birth rate

Baby boom or bust? The rising cost of China’s childbirth conundrum

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China economy

Does China have the key to unlock a second demographic dividend?

Employers in China asked to create jobs suitable for older workers, with close to 300 million people aged over 60.

An elderly woman stands at the entrance to the University for the Elderly in Beijing. Photo: AP
Health in China

China promotes fidelity for elderly as HIV/Aids cases rise in over 50s

Rising infection rates attributed to loneliness, a lack of understanding about safe sex and reluctance to discuss it with doctors.

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China’s Communist Party

Chinese county grapples with how to reward workers for difficult, low-level jobs

Report finds frontline workers overwhelmed leaving ‘little time or energy for systematic learning or professional development’.

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Health & Fitness

China expands health insurance coverage with 91 new drugs, innovative treatments

The health authority shows its support for novel drugs, while driving tough bargains with pharmaceutical firms on prices.

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China has added dozens of new drugs to its medical insurance reimbursement list. Photo: Getty Images
China's ageing population

China’s population crisis: is it irreversible?

China’s marriage and fertility rates remain on a downward trajectory, fueling a demographic crisis that threatens the nation’s economic and social stability. In this six-part series, we examine the far-reaching consequences of a shrinking and ageing population, from the rise of a “companionship economy” to the challenges faced by the “one-child generation” and the economic risks associated with losing the demographic dividend.

China's ageing population

China’s border with Central Asia deemed concern amid demographic decline

China’s sparsely populated border with Central Asia, which is losing residents quickly, was named by a researcher as an area not to ignore.

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China's economic recovery

Chinese province makes labour pain relief pledge to ease childbirth jitters

Hainan says labour pain relief will be covered by public health insurance, part of broader plan to boost birth rates.

A Chinese province is attempting to ease concerns over the physical stress of childbirth with a plan to include labour pain treatment in public health insurance policies. Photo: Getty Images
China jobs

An advanced degree in China? Think again, students say, as exam numbers plunge

China’s graduate entrance examination is not seen as the golden ticket to employment that it once was.

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Students hoping to pursue advanced degrees prepare for the national postgraduate entrance exam in China’s Hunan province. Photo: Xinhua
China economy

Baby boon: far-flung Chinese county splashes cash to boost births

Researcher questions where the money will come from, as well as the sustainability of subsidies amid China’s falling birth rate.

China property

Amid property crisis, China must shift from ‘availability’ to ‘quality’: premier

Latest comments show how China’s leadership aims to ‘leverage technology’ and embrace modern advancements to fuel urbanisation drive and boost economy.

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China society

China’s lonely-heart crisis fuels a growing ‘companionship economy’

As Chinese society becomes more atomised, consumers devoid of human interaction are increasingly opening their wallets to stave off loneliness.

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China’s single population is increasingly turning to various forms of paid companionship – from chatting with strangers online to virtual role-playing games. Photo: Shutterstock
China economy

China’s first-time marriages rebounded last year, but spike unlikely to last

First-time marriages in China increased for the first time in nearly a decade last year, but demographers suggest the rebound is unlikely to last.

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A mass wedding ceremony in central China’s Hunan province. Photo: EPA-EFE
Open Questions series

Open Questions | Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

US historian Jay Winter explains how the nature of war shifted after WWI and WWII, and the impact it has on the world today.

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China birth rate

My Take | China’s bleak demographic condition offers harsh lessons for policymakers

Beijing’s efforts to cultivate a ‘birth-friendly society’ marks an about-turn from its rigid, decades-long enforcement of a one-child policy.

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China economy

I don’t: marriage registrations tumble, adding to China’s population woes

Marriage registrations in China could fall to as low as 6.01 million this year, prompting cash incentives from some local governments.

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A child plays with sand near a couple taking part in a pre-wedding photoshoot on a beach in Qingdao, Shandong province. Photo: Reuters
Trending in China

China city’s bold measures to boost marriage, birth rates spark harsh criticism

Government slogans like ‘I enjoy making breakfast’, ‘Having three children is the coolest’ have drawn criticism.

China’s Communist Party

Chinese health body takes down propaganda aimed at boosting birth rate

In deleted post NHC listed physical changes and said pregnant women and their families should focus more on the positive values of birth.

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China's ageing population

China looks to establish childbirth subsidy system, further tax cuts for parents

Subsidies and tax cuts are set to be rolled out as part of efforts to build a ‘birth-friendly society’ amid China’s looming demographic crisis.

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A nurse takes care of newborn babies in a maternity hospital in Fuyang in central China’s Anhui province. Photo: Future Publishing via Getty Images
China's ageing population

My Take | How Song dynasty tax policy might offer a solution to China’s population crisis

During the Song dynasty China’s population exceeded 100 million for the first time, breaking a historical ceiling of about 60 to 80 million.

Chinese women learn how take care of newborn babies during a neighborhood committee session in Yichun, Jiangxi province, August 21, 2024. Photo: AFP
China’s Communist Party

Chinese government workers urge women to get pregnant in latest birth rate push

The national grass-roots campaign to gauge sentiment and create pregnancy incentives is running into lingering resentment and worry, officials say.

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Migrant workers in China

Chinese cities ease residency requirements as ‘war for people’ heats up

City governments have adopted a ‘hukou for home’ strategy as the competition for talent intensifies.

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China birth rate

Thousands of Chinese kindergartens close as falling birth rate takes its toll

Last year saw the number of kindergartens fall by over 5 per cent while the number of children enrolling dropped by more than 11 per cent.

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The number of children enrolled in kindergartens has fallen over the past three years. Photo: Getty Images
China's ageing population

More than 60% of Chinese over 60 are empty nesters, survey finds

Most can’t afford to live in a nursing home, according to five-yearly poll, as committee on ageing calls for better services and coordinated policies.

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The traditional Chinese approach of children supporting their elderly parents “is being seriously challenged”, according to the National Committee on Ageing. Photo: AFP
China's ageing population

The teething troubles of turning China’s kindergartens into homes for the aged

Aged care is a promising service area as the birth rate falls and society greys, but entrepreneurs face a series of hurdles.

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Ageing society

China’s current pro-birth policies cannot offset population crisis, expert warns

Cash subsidies for multiple children are doing little to offset China’s declining fertility rate that has far-reaching economic implications.

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